'Strict liability' warning to football clubs over fan behaviour

Thousands of Rangers fans marched to George Square after their Scottish Premiership title win on Saturday

Scottish football clubs could be held responsible for fan behaviour, the Justice Secretary has warned.

Humza Yousaf said strict liability for clubs was "on the table" if they are unwilling to tackle issues themselves.

He also said an independent football regulator may be established.

It comes as MSPs questioned the government's response to violence and "anti-Catholic and anti-Irish bigotry" displayed by Rangers fans following their Scottish Premiership title win.

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Despite being warned against public gatherings because of the pandemic, thousands of supporters marched from Ibrox Stadium to George Square on Saturday where flares were set off and missiles thrown.

Five police officers were injured and 28 people arrested as crowds were dispersed due to "rising disorder".

Police said "many more arrests would follow" what it described as "disgraceful" scenes.

Broken glass and rubbish covered the square in the aftermath of the violence

During Scottish Parliament business on Tuesday, the SNP's James Dornan raised an urgent question about the disorder, saying he was "sick and tired of Rangers fans thinking they are above the law".

Mr Dornan said he had long campaigned for strict liability - though the majority of SPFL clubs have been resistant to the measure in the past.

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster has previously insisted strict liability does not work "anywhere in the world".

Mr Yousaf said Rangers had urged fans to follow coronavirus guidelines, but he wished the messaging had been more "explicit".

He said that while it was important to work with football clubs rather than "imposing measures" upon them, further action like strict liability may follow if clubs were "unwilling to confront that there is a problem among some fans".

Mr Yousaf also said he had "no tolerance" for anti-Catholic and anti-Irish bigotry seen at the weekend, which he said would form part of Police Scotland investigations.

He said: "It is disgusting. Every single one of us has a responsibility to call it out and call it what it is.

"I woke up this morning to two rabid anti-Catholic messages which I have reported to the police. I'm neither a Catholic nor Irish, but that hatred was directed towards me, and I am intending to call it out."

'Thuggish behaviour'

Conservative MSP Liam Kerr said the scenes at the weekend were "disgraceful", but asked whether Mr Yousaf agreed that all gatherings should be advised against.

Mr Yousaf agreed however suggested Mr Kerr was drawing comparisons between the fan disorder and recent peaceful gatherings, such as the protest against immigration enforcement in Pollokshields.

Two men who were being detained were eventually released after a standoff between police and crowds - including one man who crawled under the vehicle to prevent it from moving.

Mr Yousaf said: "I have said, the First Minister has said, that if it wasn't for Covid regulations then we would have been on Kenmure Street.

"We didn't see thuggish, loutish behaviour on Kenmure Street. Let's not think there is an absolute equivalence between what we saw at the weekend, those scenes of disorder, and what we saw in Pollokshields and some other gatherings over the weekend."